Sehwag keen to build on Ranji ton

Virender Sehwag, who scored a fighting century for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Monday, refused to be drawn into the debate about his form. His innings of 107 - his first century in any form of cricket in 11 months and his first in Ranji Trophy in six years - couldn't prevent Delhi's defeat, but it allayed the doubts over his indifferent form. Sehwag said he was happy to have scored the century and hoped to bat well in the upcoming Test series against England.

"I am happy that I scored 100 against UP. Whether I am back in form or not, is not for me to decide but I thought I played well enough and hope to do well (against England)," he told PTI.

Sehwag, who scored 25 in the first innings, suffered a cut on his ring finger when a chance off Mohammad Kaif flew past him at first slip on the second day. He didn't take the field for the first two sessions on the third day and only came out to bat at No. 6 as Delhi's bid to save the match started faltering. He batted for almost four hours and faced 165 balls during his innings.

"My injury forced me to bat in the middle order," he said. "The doctor did not give me local anaesthesia on time. The team management decides [the move to] the middle order and not the player himself.

"My finger is getting better. It's fine at the moment."

There have been concerns over the form of Sehwag and his opening partner, Gautam Gambhir. But Sehwag, like Gambhir, believes they are still the best openers in India, and refused to comment on the selectors' decision to pick two more openers in the squad for England, Ajinkya Rahane and M Vijay.

"Yes, we are [the best opening pair in the country]. The decision [to include two more openers] is taken by the national selectors. They know it well."

Sehwag is also close to a personal milestone. He is just two matches short of becoming only the ninth Indian player to play 100 Tests. "It was my dream to play for my country. Since the time I achieved that, my next dream has been to perform well and play 100 Tests for India. I am very happy that moment is coming soon," he said.

Brilliant news. I can honestly see this guy scoring heavy soon. He holds the record in ODI's, has surpassed 290 on 3 occasion with the Don and should become the first player to hit 3 test triple 100's. Also the fastest triple century. He really has revolutionised test opening and ensured that no target set is safe.

And smalishah's avatar is the most classy one by far Jan certainly echoes the sentiments of CW

Yeah we don't crap in the first world; most of us would actually have no idea what that was emanating from Ajmal's backside. Why isn't it roses and rainbows like what happens here? PEWS's retort to Ganeshran on Daemon's picture depicting Ajmal's excreta

Inept bowling led to Lara's 400? Hardly it was a flattish, pitch and the best batsman of the past 20 years.

Remind me what Lara did in that series prior to that match? You collapsed for under 300 in the first innings. No denying Lara was a great batsmen and the pitch was flat, but an international team allowing a player to score 400* is very poor. If it was easy a lot of players would have done it against lower opposition but it still doesn't always happen.

It requires everything to go right. It did for Lara against supposedly a good quality attack.

Lara scored 400 because the pitch was good and he was even better the fact that England kept him suppressed is more testimony to the bowlers than anything else.

Originally Posted by ViruTheBest

County standard is appalling and can't compare.

And of course the FC system which has provided us with such great pace bowlers such as Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma is of course a wondrous benchmark of bowling ability. Its really a struggle to say the county level during the 90's was appalling when you had tons of world class top quality players in it.

Lara scored 400 because the pitch was good and he was even better the fact that England kept him suppressed is more testimony to the bowlers than anything else.

And of course the FC system which has provided us with such great pace bowlers such as Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma is of course a wondrous benchmark of bowling ability. Its really a struggle to say the county level during the 90's was appalling when you had tons of world class top quality players in it.

In the 90's you had regulars like Atherton, Hussain and Hick. Says it all really. It's a batsmen's game and that's where we are above the rest. Our domestic is littered with so many class batsmen.

Its a batsmen's game only when the pitches are so piss poor they don't offer anything to the bowlers in he 90s you had the mix of high quality attacks on decks tha aided them. You couldn't expect many if any of the batsmen going round at the moment to have played some of the knocks that Atherton in particular played. In fact you've probably only got perhaps 3 or 4 batsman who would've been able to.